Anything's Possible
by WildwingSuz
Summary: How awkward must it have been after he busted in the door?


Spoilers: Post-ep for "Small Potatoes"

Author's Notes: What went through my head after my most recent (20th or so in the last year, heh) viewing of this episode. Written in about an hour; another light amusing fluff piece to break up the seriousness of the intense NC-17s that I've been doing lately.

Synopsis: How awkward must it have been after he busted in the door?

**Anything's Possibl****e**  
By Suzanne Feld  
Rated PG for language

"Mulder, I don't know what I should say to you."

The police had cleared out and taken Eddie Van Blundt away, leaving us alone, before we got the nerve to speak directly to each other.

"Well, neither do I," he snapped, crossing his arms against his chest as he glared at me from where he stood by the ruined door. He was still in his rumpled suit with his hair tousled, looking like he'd been trapped in a small room for almost eight hours... which he had. "Do you have any goddamn idea what it's like to know that Eddie Van Blundt almost did the horizontal bop with you? My partner?"

"I wasn't going to bed with him--you--him," I snapped right back. "What the hell, Mulder. It was just a kiss! And you know damn well that I thought it was _you!_"

I turned and stalked away, going to plop on the couch and turning my back to him. I wanted to order him out of my apartment, but the landlord hadn't replaced the door yet and it wouldn't do much good when he could still yell at me through the open doorway.

"Looked like there was more than just a kiss about to happen when I broke in," he said in a clearly sarcastic tone. "I can't believe you didn't know that that wasn't me. Never thought you were so easily fooled, Scully."

I turned to glare back at him over my shoulder. "He acted like you do when you get in those goofy childlike moods of yours," I gritted out. "And yes, I thought 'you' were acting a little bizarre. But not _that_ much more than usual," I added snidely.

He came around and sat in the easy chair across the coffee table from me. I was relieved he didn't sit on the couch because the only space left was where Van Blundt had been sitting when I thought he was Mulder. And my head was screwed up enough about the whole thing; how long would it take me to realize that I really hadn't told _him_ the story of my senior prom night?

"Well that's real nice," he grumbled, putting his head in his hands, elbows on knees. "I had no idea you thought so little of me, Scully."

I ground my teeth, about ready to kick him. "If I thought that little of you, Mulder, I wouldn't have let you damn near kiss me."

"It wasn't me," he all but roared, jumping to his feet and glaring down at me. "That's what I'm trying to get through to you! _ It wasn't me!_"

"_I_ thought it was!" I shouted back, standing up. "That's what I'm trying to get through _your_ thick skull, Mulder! I had no clue that it _wasn't_ you!"

"Uh-huh," he said sarcastically. "Would you kiss me now? Knowing it's really me?"

"How do I know that? You going to show me your badge?" I sniped, putting my hands on my hips. He started around the coffee table towards me and I braced myself. "You come any closer and I will kick your ass into next week," I warned him. "You know I can do it."

He stopped, still glaring at me. "Fine. Just fine, Scully. You've made it clear to me where your loyalties lie."

God, I wanted to crack him a good one upside the head with a fireplace poker. "Whatever, Mulder. You don't know me half as well as you think you do. I'm tired of arguing with you, I've had enough for tonight. Why don't you just--"

"Miss Scully?"

We both turned to see my elderly landlord standing in the doorway. "Yes, Mr. Gardner?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have another door in the basement, they're all over at my other property. I can have one for you first thing in the morning but it's kind of late to be going over there now."

"You can't leave the door like this," Mulder said, gesturing to the broken lock. "It isn't safe for her to stay here."

"I was going to ask Miss Scully if she could find somewhere to stay for the night, I'll even pay for a motel if necessary, and we'll just nail it shut until we get the new door here in the morning," he said stiffly to my partner, then turned to me. "Come down or call and let me know what you decide either way." He turned and walked out, glaring first at Mulder then at the broken door.

"Come stay at my place, Scully, you don't have to go to a motel," Mulder said, speaking in a lower tone. "You spend enough time in those places when we're on the road. If you don't mind taking the couch I'd love to have you stay. No strings attached and no funny stuff."

I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "No more fighting? No more yelling at me about Van Blundt?"

He ran a hand through his mussed hair and gave me a lopsided, apologetic grin. "Sorry about that, Scully, I let my temper get away from me. It's just..."

I waited a beat then said, "What? Come on, Mulder, tell me or we'll never clear the air between us."

"All right. I feel like a fool because I never had the guts to try it," he admitted sheepishly, gesturing to the wineglasses still sitting on the table. "You're a stunning beautiful, amazingly intelligent woman, Scully, and I never thought you'd go for a guy like me."

"Guy like you?" I repeated, frowning, surprised at his words. I decided to ignore what he said about me despite—or maybe because of--the jolt it caused in the pit of my belly. "Why wouldn't I, or any woman in her right mind for that matter? Jesus, Mulder, do you ever look in a mirror?"

"I know what people think of me, good old Spooky, and I'm certainly not centerfold material," he said self-depreciatingly. "C'mon, Scully, what do you say. We can grab a pizza on the way over and watch a movie."

I can't stay mad at him for long; that's my weakness and I know it, not that I ever do anything about it. "For the record, Mulder, you're probably the most handsome, charismatic man that I've ever personally known—and yes, I will stay at your place tonight. But where are you going to sleep?" I knew he slept on the couch, and wasn't even sure if his apartment had a bedroom.

He grinned over at me, the familiar grin that always went straight to tug on my heartstrings. "I've got an air mattress, which of course you're welcome to share with me should you get tired of the couch." The familiar leer he gave me put us back on equal ground, restoring the status quo.

"If it's more comfortable than the couch I'll be taking it, never mind sharing it," I told him as I moved away towards the bedroom. "Give me five minutes to pack a bag."

"Hey, Scully?"

I turned back to look at him expectantly, raising one eyebrow.

"You really think I'm handsome?"

I shook my head, fighting a grin. "No, you're a goddamn troll. Of course I do, Mulder, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

He gave me a lopsided smile. "So long as Van Blundt didn't totally ruin my chances—someday."

"Anything's possible, Mulder--you of all people should know that."

_finis_


End file.
